[SOLVED] Advice to replace my old keyboard

[JerryBels]

So, after 8 years of good and loyal services, my daughter decided that my Logitech G15 needed cleaning with window cleaning liquid. Now, when typing m, it gives m5. When typing n, it goes like n and then ctrl+f. CONSISTENTLY. Oh, and both / and 0 are like, yeah, let's do /0. Sure, laugh at me !

Tried to open it and clean it, but it didn't help. Now, I'm looking for a replacement. I did lots of gaming before, much less nowadays, but I'm a writer and a programmer as well. So I still need a good hardware. But I'm also a father of 3, soon to be 4, and so I also need money for lots of stuff. Which means I'm on a budget - not a tight one but don't go over the moon. Let's say around $100 - and I live in Israel, prices are not the same as in the US - sometimes it's close, sometimes it's ridiculously costier.

Anyway, I liked a few things about my G15 :

• Wrist rest.
• Programmable keys.
• Backlighting.
• Media control keys.
• Screen displaying essential informations (mostly for music, didn't use it too much for gaming).

So I'm looking at the market nowadays and thought, let's go for a mechanical! So, started to look at some options... Here is what I found. I know I won't have a small screen on there - it's fine, it was the least important of the features I was liking.

- Corsair K55 RGB Gaming Keyboard
So, this has backlighting, programmable keys, media control keys, wrist rest... But it's not a mechanical keyboard. It's the only one I found in my price tag that has it all though - but I really wanted to go for a mechanical now.

- Razer Ornata Chroma Gaming Keyboard
This one has backlighting and media control keys alright, lacks the programmable keys and its plush wrist rest looks weird, I don't know. Also, it's stated as having "Mecha-Membrane Switches", which as I read is not as good a real mechanical.

- Logitech G613 Wireless Mechanical Gaming Keyboard
This has a good wrist rest, programmable keys, media control keys... But, unexpectedly, it lacks backlighting! It's a Logitech so it's Romer G switches - I read that they're not as good as Cherry Mx. Also, wireless - meaning battery stuff etc. Not a big deal though.

- Logitech G610 Orion
This has backlighting, media control keys, lacks wrist rest and programmable keys, but has real Cherry MX switches.

- HAVIT Mechanical Keyboard
Found this on aliexpress (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32961779773.html) - it has backlighting, a small wrist rest, looks to have programmable.... lightning keys ? Not sure if the can be used as fully programmable keys. Have media control. Seems fine, but I don't know of the brand.

So, I was undecided. Every time my heart goes one way, I'm like "eh but it lacks X" and I feel sad. I don't like feeling sad. And then, I told myself, let's ask people, right?

Thanks ahead!

 

[Lutfij]

EVGA make a mechanical keyboard, the Z10, that is eerily similar to the G15 you currently have, perhaps you can take a look at that. Have you decided what sort of switches you'd like? Perhaps Cherry MX Brown or their ilk?

 

[JerryBels]

EVGA make a mechanical keyboard, the Z10, that is eerily similar to the G15 you currently have, perhaps you can take a look at that. Have you decided what sort of switches you'd like? Perhaps Cherry MX Brown or their ilk?

Thanks for the answer! This keyboard looks... Absolutely incredible? It has absolutely everythingI'm looking for. A little more costy that what I had found (not sold here and shipping and fees from Amazon are ~$70, same price as the keyboard itself!) but I will definitely consider.

I'm not sure what type of keys I like, since I never tried a mechanical before. I read about blue being better for typing and brown for gaming. But it's theoretical knowledge.

[EDIT] pretty low reviews on Amazon for the EVGA I think.

 

[hang-the-9]

Without the screen, but if someone is after an incredible looking keyboard with many keys...

SteelSeries Apex, unfortunately this specific model is no longer available but maybe on the used market.

 

[jwcrellin]

I had a Corsair and the rgb on a couple keys would de-sync after a few minutes, very annoying. My current keyboard is a fullsize RGB Reddragon with blue clone switches. Works good.

 

[JerryBels]

Without the screen, but if someone is after an incredible looking keyboard with many keys...

SteelSeries Apex, unfortunately this specific model is no longer available but maybe on the used market.

Looks nice, but I think it's not a mechanical right.

I had a Corsair and the rgb on a couple keys would de-sync after a few minutes, very annoying. My current keyboard is a fullsize RGB Reddragon with blue clone switches. Works good.

Thanks for the advice, I couldn't find a Redragon fitting my search though.

 

[hang-the-9]

Thanks for the answer! This keyboard looks... Absolutely incredible? It has absolutely everythingI'm looking for. A little more costy that what I had found (not sold here and shipping and fees from Amazon are ~$70, same price as the keyboard itself!) but I will definitely consider.

I'm not sure what type of keys I like, since I never tried a mechanical before. I read about blue being better for typing and brown for gaming. But it's theoretical knowledge.

[EDIT] pretty low reviews on Amazon for the EVGA I think.

Blue and green switches are tactile and clicky, fairly loud. Many new mechanical keyboard users like them (probably due to the fact that a lot of cheap mechanical keyboards use them also) but after using them for a bit they tend to sell them and try something else due to the noise. There are dozens of different keys https://mechanicalkeyboards.com/shop/index.php?l=product_list&c=114

You will not know what you may like without trying them out. Even keyboards with the same switch model may feel different due to how they are made due to how the materials feel and sound. The more expensive keyboards have metal plates and bodies and are more solid and dense, creating a solid and less pingy typing sound and fee, the cheap ones may have uneven key feel or some spring noise and instability in the larger keys.

I'm a pretty new keyboard geek (maybe a few years) and already own 4 keyboards currently with another on the way, plus have owned and sold or given away 6 or 7 more. I think you need to have your hands on maybe 10 keyboards to get a good feel for what you will like, so getting your first mechanical is more of a start than just buying it to keep forever.